1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of grounds care systems and implements and, more particularly, to accessory mounting system that is configured for attaching one or more of a number of implements, such as a plow, an aerator, a dethatcher, a sprayer, and/or a broadcast or drop spreader, and lift jack to a zero-turn lawnmower.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Others as well as the present applicant provide a number of small vehicle plow systems. Many such systems are configured for use with ATV's and/or other non-highway type vehicles that are frequently constructed for versatility, utility, and recreation. That is, where some users frequently use such non-highway type vehicles for recreational non-highway transportation, other users utilize such equipment for more utilitarian purposes. Hunters, ranchers, farmers, and tradesman frequently have one or more such vehicles to facilitate transportation across non-paved and relatively rugged landscapes and/or for surface treatment of such areas. Such equipment can commonly be equipped with plowing attachments to remove debris, e.g., snow from areas where other traditional highway-type plow-equipped vehicles cannot otherwise travel due to terrain or weight restrictions.
For instance, many highway vehicles, such as two or four wheel vehicles such as pickup trucks, dump trucks, Jeeps, or the like are commonly fitted with raisable plow systems. However, the weight, vertical height, and horizontal width of such equipment limits their use to generally paved or well traveled paths such as roadways and driveways. Furthermore, the limited maneuverability of such devices and the vehicles that support them limit the ability of such systems to adequately clear narrower paved areas, such as sidewalks, and detracts from the ability of such devices to adequately clear areas that are bounded by structures and/or areas populated by freestanding structures such as light poles, mailboxes, and/or other smaller but non-movable structures. Even experienced operators have difficulty adequately clearing areas that contain such obstructions. Maneuvering such equipment around such obstructions also increases the time required to adequately clear a desired area.
Such machines suffer from the additional drawback of their weight. Although larger equipment such as dedicated loaders, compact tractors equipped with loaders and/or blowers, and/or dozers can be used to quickly clear open areas, such equipment can be arduous to maneuver in confined spaces. Furthermore, although such devices are commonly configured for operation over dry, unpaved surfaces, use of such equipment for snow removal tends to undesirably damage underlying grades and finish surfaces if used for snow removal or ground treatment over such surfaces. For instance, such equipment is often so robust that many lawns cannot withstand the rigors associated with the operation of such devices over such areas. Plowing even paved surfaces with such devices commonly results in undesired damage to the grass surfaces adjacent such surfaces. In addition to ruts created by the wheels or tracks of such machines, the cutting edge of the plow also has a tendency to undesirably remove grass and/or sod from the areas adjacent the area being cleared when the machine itself or the plow blade extends beyond the paved surfaces.
Although smaller non-highway utility vehicles, commonly referred to as ATV's (all terrain vehicles) or UTV's (utility terrain vehicles), have uses beyond snow clearing, such machines can be expensive and/or sized such that many persons cannot afford and/or adequately store such machines. However, many persons for whom the present invention is directed have other equipment that is commonly associated with maintaining a residence or other facility and which is substantial enough to occasionally require snow plowing services. One such machine that has become prolific in recent times is the zero-turn lawnmower. The improved maneuverability as well as the ease of operation of such machines for grass cutting operations has increased the popularity of such devices.
Commonly, such machines are lighter than UTV's and ATV's and include an engine that is mounted rearward of an operator seat. A mower deck is commonly positioned generally between forward and rearward positioned wheel assemblies. The rear wheels are generally independently driven and the forward wheels are commonly fully rotatable or provided as caster wheels. The independently driven rear wheels in combination with the fully rotatable forward wheels provide a configuration wherein the mower is generally fully rotatable about a vertical center axis of the machine thereby connoting the zero-turn radius of the machine. Such machines have proven to be highly desirable for their mobility and reduced cut times.
Such machines also often include a relatively open front area. Although the open front area of the machine is highly desirable for grass cutting operations as such a configuration does not undesirably affect the operators field of view, the open front area of such machines limits the ability of the machine to support forward operating accessories. As such, such zero turn lawnmowers are generally underutilized for activities other than lawn maintenance.
Although others have provided snow removal systems for use with such “off road” machines, several undesirable attributes of such known systems has resulted in the general public's non-acceptance of such systems. One such system requires manual manipulation of a lift handle to effectuate raising and/or lowering of the plow. Understandably, not many operators have the physical strength to operate such systems. Additionally, as operation of the drive system of many zero turn lawnmowers requires both of the operators' hands, altering the elevation of the plow during movement of the mower is extremely difficult if at all possible.
Although it would be desirable to provide a powered system to effectuate movement of the plow, the generally open construction of the front area of many zero turn lawnmowers complicates the integration of such systems with the lawnmower. One such system provides a winch that is secured to a post that extends upward from the front of the machine. Although such a system reduces the effort that must be provided by the operator, such a system substantially impairs the operator's vision and reduces operator access to the operator area of the lawnmower. Furthermore, such a system includes a relatively complex mounting arrangement that must be repeatedly manipulated each time the plow system is attached and/or removed from the lawnmower.
Such winch lift assist systems suffer from an additional drawback that adversely affects the ability to maintain an elevation of the forward mounted implement. Particularly with respect to snow plowing operations, although the winch is adequate to lift the plow, plow down pressure is generated solely by the weight of the plow. Understandably, as such plows are commonly manually moved when not in use, adding weight to the plow would detract from many users preference for such versatile plow systems. Additionally, due to the limited down pressure provided by such plow systems, when the plow hits an obstruction or encounters compacted snow, such systems tend to ride up and over such obstructions. Such undesired lifting of the plow results in a less than desired clearing operation and increases the potential of the machine becoming stuck on uncleared snow. These drawbacks are further discussed in Applicant's copending United States patent applications having U.S. Ser. No. 11/513,879 filed on Aug. 31, 2006 and U.S. Ser. No. 11/843,321 filed on Aug. 22, 2007. The disclosures of both of which are incorporated herein.
Those skilled in the art also readily appreciate the variety of tools commonly associated with maintaining a landscape. Commonly, many homeowners periodically rent or own lawn care tools or implements such as mowers, aerators, dethatchers, rototillers or cultivators, spot or sweep sprayers, broadcast spreaders, etc. In addition to such lawn care implements, many homeowners, tired of the effort associated with shoveling snow, own snow blowers or plow equipment to assist with the physical effort of clearing walks and drives. Aware of the specialty of equipment and knowledge associated with such service, many people have their lawn and snow care needs serviced by others.
Regardless of who performs the service, the variety of equipment associated with lawn and yard care can tend to be expensive. For example, each implement mentioned above is commonly provided in a self supported manner. That is, each piece of equipment is intended to be operated independent of, or pulled behind, other equipment. Such a configuration increases the cost associated with each individual device. Further, maintaining each individual device can be costly as well. Furthermore, such devices commonly occupy an inordinate amount of space within any give homeowner's garage or shed. Therefore, there is a need to provide a system for providing one or more of a number of ground care implements in a comparatively compact form factor.
Another consideration of the design of such implements is the physical exertion that is commonly associated with the operation of such devices. Commonly, in the spring of the year, a lawn is aerated, dethatched, fertilizer, and partially seeded, to maintain a desired lawn surface. Manually performing such operations requires the homeowner or service provider to traverse the area to be seeded a number of times with the various different implements. Each of the implements above requires a certain degree of physical strength to attain the desired operation of the respective implement. As is readily appreciated, treating only a relatively small area in such a manner can be physically exhausting. Accordingly, there is a further need to reduce the level of exertion associated with the operation of such implements.
It is further appreciated that such devices must be moved in a manner in which the operative tools are occasionally not in contact with a ground surface. For instance, it is readily understood that pushing a dethatcher or aerator across a decorative concrete or paver surface would detrimentally affect the aesthetic appearance of such a surface and could possible damage the implement. Similarly, when not seeding and/or fertilizing, it is often required to disengage the delivery system of the spreader so as to not waste the material being spread by distribution in undesired locations. Commonly, non-operating transport of the respective implement is effectuated by awkward positioning of a handle and/or fully lifting the implement from the ground surface. Such requirements can further detract from the operability of each of the respective implements and increase the level of physical exertion associated with the use of a given implement. Therefore, there is also a need for an implement system wherein the individual implements can be transported in a less physically demanding manner.
Another consideration to the operation of such implements is the terrain that is intended to be treated. Although commonly operated along generally open and level or slightly sloping terrain, other areas can result in undesired or even unusable positioning of the implement. For instance, ditch areas commonly have two substantially pitched areas that converge toward a lowermost portion of the ditch. Treatment of such sloping or uneven areas with the implement commonly requires either operation of the underlying machine at a substantial incline relative to a gravitation vertical axis and/or repeated trips in an “up” and “down” direction through the ditch. Such operation creates the potential for equipment rollover, detracts from the traction performance of the machine, and/or is generally inefficient as doing so requires extensive reorientation of the machine relative to the work area. Therefore, there is also a need to allow terrain specific adjustment of the orientation of the implement relative to the surface over which the machine is to be operated.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an implement mounting system for use with “light-weight” non-highway type vehicles, such as zero-turn lawnmowers, that does not overly obstruct access to, and the view from, an operator area, that can be configured to cooperate with a number of constructions of underlying implement supporting machines, which is easy to operate, can cooperate with one or more of a number of ground treatment implements, can selectively position an implement relative to a ground or operating surface, and can selectively position an implement relative to the implement supporting machine.